Seven Days
by xlolabug12x
Summary: Erza told him to make things clear. He just didn't expect it to be so damn difficult. Gruvia. Gray-centric.


**Title:** Seven Days

**Summary:** Erza told him to make things clear. He just didn't expect it to be so damn difficult. Gruvia. Gray-centric.

**Rating:** T. Gray has a potty mouth. *clacks tongue*

**Pairings:** Gruvia, slight mentions of others.

**Author's Note:** THANK YOU. My brain is basically splattered in chunks all over my room cause my mind has been blown again. Over 30 reviews for the lousy little one-shot that I last posted? Words cannot describe how grateful I am you guys loved that piece of crap. I tried to respond to you all...if I missed you, just let me know and I'll PM you.

**Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. I can't draw to save my life. As much as I would love to own a Lyon, it ain't happenin'.

**Warnings:** Spoilers for those of you who aren't completely caught up with the manga yet. Also, blushy Gray, adorably clueless Juvia, semicolon/linebreak/ellipsis abuse, "And" at the beginning of sentences, a crapload of italicized words (I like emphasis, okay?), and just all around fluffy corniness.

The way I wrote Lyon is not intended to sound like I'm bashing. Lyon is one of my favorites. :3 It's not my intention to make him sound bad.

* * *

Gray wasn't fond of showing emotion.

That isn't to say he didn't have any. Oh, no, on the contrary. He felt too much. But on the surface, he appeared to be a calm, collected, albeit egotistical ice mage with good looks and a love for fighting. Everything he did was done with an effortless flair; he got the job done with a confident smirk on his face and little to no injuries. He was patient with his clients, no matter how much they annoyed him. He loved his nakama more than anything and would go through tremendous lengths to make sure they would go unharmed.

That was the surface of Gray Fullbuster, the side of him that he chose to let everybody see. What lay underneath was a completely different story.

Gray _hurt_. Sure, everybody hurt in Fairy Tail. Every one of its members had their own story, their own demons. There was no shortage of tragedies in his guild.

But Gray chose not to let it show. Everyone who hurt had a confidante, someone there to pick them up when they were down. They told them their secrets, their fears, their pain. And that person was always there to help them feel better.

Gray didn't have a confidante. He chose not to. They annoyed him, those dastardly little devils called emotions. He didn't want to feel anything. He wanted to be the strong, cool, brave one.

That's why he had been so frustrated with the whole situation that occurred on Galuna Island; seeing Lyon and Deliora trapped in Ur's ice cause something inside him to snap and his pain and frustration came pouring out. It brought back the dreadful memories of the death of his parents and Ur giving her life to protect him. Lyon nearly made him snap completely by reminding him that it was all his fault. _All his fault._

Ever since that fateful day when he was eight, Gray vowed not to let anyone get too close to him. The more people you were close to, the more people you had to lose. Natsu, Erza, Lucy, and Happy were an exception, but he couldn't help it. Those four had managed to wheedle their way into his heart whether he liked it or not. He cared about everyone else, of course, but to an admittedly lesser extent. He would survive if they were gone. The others, not so much.

And then there was _her._

Gray tried so hard to understand his feelings toward Juvia, but to no avail. She had managed to evoke new emotions in him that he had never experienced before. Gray thought he had experienced them all: anger, sadness, joy, jealousy, terror. But then Juvia came along and it was just _different_.

There was the light, fuzzy feeling in his chest whenever he thought of her. He felt everything for his other comrades but that. He didn't know what it was, but it was pleasant, really. It made him feel warm from the inside out, sometimes spreading to his face in the form of a blush. The blush had become more common lately; he only ever used to blush whenever one of the girls from the guild wore revealing clothing, and he blushed over their lack of modesty more than anything. The blushes for Juvia were another story.

He would blush and _his heart would race_, something that had never occurred inside him except in fights. Her professions of love and extreme affection used to annoy him, but as time went on he found that it made his heart leap into his throat and his palms sweat. The innocent comments she sometimes made turned into something more in his head; on a few occasions he had to leave the room due to an uncontrollable nosebleed. Even the thought of her injured or gone brought raw terror to his heart, so powerful it made him lightheaded and bile rise to his throat.

They were frustrating, these foreign emotions. He couldn't quite pinpoint the cause of them. How could he? He had spent over half of his life trying to avoid these things, and there she was, shattering whatever semblance of balance he had in his life.

_Why don't you make everything clear?_

Those words had been repeating over and over inside his head ever since that day. He didn't want to make everything clear. He wanted everything in his life to stay the same, inside his comfort zone and without any interruptions.

But his thoughts didn't stay that way for long. He found himself _wanting _to clear things up, _wanting _to come clean. He tried to ignore the urges, but every time he did they would come back, stronger than before.

And it scared the hell out of him.

* * *

"Graaaaaay," Mirajane's voice cut through his thoughts and his head snapped up. She had refilled his drink without him realizing it. "I've called your name three times already. You seem a bit down. What's wrong?"

"I'm not...down," he admitted truthfully. "I've just been thinking a lot lately."

Mirajane's eyebrows shot up and she gave him a knowing smile. "Really? Do your thoughts revolve around a cute little water mage?"

Gray felt as if all the blood in his body had rushed to his face. "N-No! Why would I..."

Mirajane laughed. "Ahhh, you're so obvious! It's adorable!"

"I'm not adorable!"

"Yes, you are." The lightheartedness in Mirajane's voice dropped and she suddenly turned serious. "Gray...why are you avoiding talking to Juvia about your feelings?"

Gray made a choking noise. "W-What makes you think I want to do that?"

"I know you. And Erza told me about that little conversation you two had on the balcony during the Games."

Gray scowled. "Damn that woman. Can't keep that conversation between us private, eh? Somehow Lucy and Levy know, too."

"Better not let her hear you talking about her like that," Mirajane giggled. "And Gray...liking somebody isn't a bad thing."

"I...when did I say I liked her?!"

Mirajane's look turned deadly. Gray shrank back in fear. "GRAY. JUST ADMIT IT ALREADY."

"Alright, alright!" Gray began to sweat. "Fine...um, I guess I do?" The words slipped out of his mouth unconsciously and his eyes widened in terror. Mirajane squealed and clapped her hands together. Gray looked away in frustration. He could _not_ believe he had just said that. "Shut up! I...I don't really know about these things, to be honest. And so what?"

"You just openly admitted you liked her to me. What's preventing you from saying it to her?"

Gray was still surprised at himself. He sure had given in to Mirajane awfully quick. He had spent years avoiding talk about any emotional topic with someone; why was it just spewing out of his mouth like this? Of course he trusted her, but he didn't trust_ himself_ to keep it in anymore.

It took a while for him to respond. "I'm not quite sure." Gray's voice was quiet.

Mirajane's face softened. "Oh, Gray...you're scared, aren't you?"

Gray groaned and covered his face with his hands. He was not enjoying this discussion at all. There was a reason he chose to avoid conversations like this, dammit! "Me, scared? Ha! Never!" He attempted to say this in a joking manner, but his tone came out sounding like a hoarse croak.

"Awwww..." Mirajane's sounded like she was about to cry.

"No, it's okay! Don't cry!" Gray yelled frantically when the when the waterworks began.

"It's just so s-sad!" Mirajane wailed.

"O-Oi! Stop that! People are staring!" Gray waved his arms frantically. He squirmed, feeling the his guild mates' eyes on him. "Why don't we take this conversation outside?" It was bad enough that he was actually talking about these things with someone. He didn't need the whole damn guild to overhear.

Mirajane hiccuped sadly and followed him out.

* * *

"Gray, seriously, tell me...why are you scared?"

The two mages were sitting on the steps in front of the guild; it had taken almost five minutes for Mirajane to stop crying and get back to normal. Her tears confused Gray. How could somebody show their emotions so easily? Was she crying for him, or because she just felt bad?

Gray folded his hands over his chin. "I don't...usually let people get to me like this, you know?" He mumbled. "I don't know what to say or what to do...it's all so new to me."

"You're afraid of letting people get close to you, huh?"

"...Yeah," he admitted reluctantly after a short pause. "I've...lost nearly everybody I've been close to in the past...I don't want it to happen again."

_Look at me, talking about feelings like a total sap,_ he thought sourly. _But why does it feel good?_

"And you feel like if you start something with Juvia you'll get even closer to her and be in danger of losing her, too."

Gray's breath caught and he looked up in surprise. "How did you know?"

Mirajane's smile was sad. "I used to feel the same way. After the whole incident with Lisanna, I pushed Elfman away for a while. I know I shouldn't have, but I was terrified of losing someone else I loved. I stopped when I saw how much it hurt Elfman and how he needed me to be there for him, especially considering the fact that he blamed himself. I'm glad he has Evergreen now, in case something happens to me. This whole pushing away thing...don't you know that it hurts Juvia, too?"

Gray bit his lip. "I've never noticed before, to be honest," he admitted, looking at the ground guiltily. "She always seemed so happy to be with me. It never crossed my mind that I was hurting her. Has she ever said anything about it to you?"

"No, but...sometimes, during the night when she thinks everybody is asleep...it rains. Not hard, and it's usually dry by the next morning, but I know it's there."

Gray felt like giving himself a huge, painful bitch-slap across the face. "Oh, no."

Mirajane stared off into space. "She's a lot like you, you know." Her voice was contemplative. "She hides her pain from everybody else. I've tried talking to her but she's only revealed a very minimal amount to me. She still suffers from depression sometimes. She was never really cared for before she joined Fairy Tail...sometimes she feels like she's a burden to everyone...she just has so much self-hatred." Mirajane looked back at him an gave him a tiny grin. "Do you know how much it would affect Juvia to know that the man she loves...has feelings for her, too?"

Gray felt as if he had the breath knocked out of him.

Mirajane continued. "You have no reason to be scared, Gray. Juvia is a strong woman, and if anything were to happen to her everybody from the guild would get involved, too. And besides, if you confess to her, it's not like she's going to say no, right?" She laughed. "Confessing will do nothing but bring utter happiness to you both...and you two deserve to be happy." Mirajane stood up and offered her hand to Gray. "Let's head back inside. Just think about it tonight, okay?"

* * *

**Day 01**

Gray walked into the guild with tired eyes and a feeling of anxiety bubbling in his stomach. The night had been a rough one. He had hardly slept at all, and instead spent his time pondering over Mirajane's words. She had been absolutely right about everything, and it scared the hell out of him. Never before had anyone understood him completely like that before. It made him realize that maybe...maybe he wasn't as alone as he thought he was. Maybe all he needed to do was heed her advice and he could finally be happy again.

That's when he came to a decision. It was hard, and he had to rethink it over and over again every time he chickened out, yet the result was always the same. He was having a hard time believing it, but he was going to confess. For her. For himself.

It wasn't a confession of love, of course. He wasn't that far gone yet, and he couldn't lie to Juvia. But it was a confession that would bring out endless possibilities for their happiness and emotional healing. And that was almost as good as it could get for the two broken individuals.

Gray made his way toward Lucy, who was sitting by the counter speaking to Mirajane and Levy. Lucy's face looked smug, while Levy looked excited. "Have you seen Juvia around here?" He asked.

Lucy cackled and whipped around to face him. "Oh, so you decided to follow through with it, eh?"

A pang of shock ran through Gray. He stared at Mirajane indignantly. "You told them?!"

Mirajane blushed slightly, but she had on a slightly devilish grin. "They deserve to know. They had been planning on confronting you until I told them I already did. Erza knows, too. She's off with Jellal right now, but she told me to tell you not to 'mess things up'."

"I think it's adorable!" Levy giggled. Gray grumbled and looked away, cheeks pink. "Oh, Gray, it's okay. You have nothing to be ashamed of. We're not judging you or anything."

"Yeah," Lucy added. "While I think it's a bit funny, you confessing to a girl, I think it's sweet. You don't need to be afraid of letting anyone close to you. If it makes you feel any better, we've been devising ways for you to confess to her."

"Uh, that's nice and all, but how are we supposed to do that when I want to talk to Juvia right now?"

Mirajane looked guilty. "Oh! I forgot to tell you. She's actually on a mission at the moment, but she should be back by tonight."

Gray groaned, the disappointment weighing on him like an anvil. The day he chooses to confess to a girl, she isn't there. Just his luck. "Seriously?"

Lucy patted him on the back. "Look on the bright side; we have time to prepare now!" She pulled out a pen and some paper from seemingly out of nowhere. "Time to start planning!"

The week was already shaping up to be the longest one of Gray's life.

* * *

**Day 02**

"Gray-sama!"

On any other day Gray would have groaned at the sound of that voice and wait for the thump of her body latching on to his back, but not today. The newly discovered feelings inside him instead caused his heart to speed up and his hands to tremble in anxiety and anticipation. Of course, his expression remained completely stoic on the outside. Lucy and Levy wagged their eyebrows in his direction from their spots next to Natsu and Gajeel. Gray resisted the urge to flip them the bird.

_Thump._

Warmth...softness...a fruity little fragrance that made his muscles relax.

It felt like home.

And the thought made Gray want to bash his head against the wall.

The hug was short-lived, though, as she had detached herself from him and turned his body to face her.

"Guess what, Gray-sama?" Her face was flushed with excitement and her eyes were bright. Her hair was all over the place, as if she had been sprinting, and she sported a wide grin on her face. She looked so carefree and innocent, nothing like the sad persona she really is. And beautiful. The unexpected thought nearly made Gray squirm in embarrassment.

_She still suffers from depression sometimes._

He stared at her, hardly believing that someone like her could carry so much sadness inside her heart. It made him feel angry and strangely protective.

"Juvia just saw a sign for a restaurant opening in town today! It's supposed to be high-class and really fancy, and they're looking for mages to help out and be security for the opening night. Juvia thinks this is a good mission to take with Gray-sama."

Gray blinked. "New...high-class and fancy?" It sounded a lot like the restaurant Lucy and Levy had been talking about when they had been making plans for what they deemed "Operation: Help Gray Grow a Pair". He scowled at the name. If this was the restaurant they were talking about...he had to talk her out of this mission, then he would be free to ask her to dinner.

Juvia nodded her head vigorously.

Gray coughed and looked away awkwardly. He wasn't quite sure how to talk to her anymore, much to his chagrin, and he was afraid that if he looked at her for too long his face would pinken. God knows he didn't need that right now. He wasn't used to this! _Why do people look for and enjoy this feeling?!_ He screamed mentally.

"Juvia...as much as I would like to take a mission with you...I don't think it would be a good idea for people from Fairy Tail to take this mission," he said carefully.

Juvia frowned. "Why?"

"Because..." Gray frantically searched his brain for a good excuse. "Um...the restaurant owners probably know that we have a penchant for...destroying things."

Juvia's face fell and Gray felt the need to punch himself. But it wasn't exactly like he was lying!

"Ah...Gray-sama is right," she said sadly. "Ohhh...Juvia's sad! She really wanted to go!"

_Now's your chance._

Gray swallowed and looked at Lucy and Levy. They gave him a thumbs-up, and behind them, Mira smiled. If this plan failed, he would freeze their asses. The fact that he was doing something like this was reason enough, in his opinion.

"Erm, if you want...I, uh, I guess I could take you out to eat there..."

Juvia stared. Gray flushed. Lucy and Levy facepalmed.

"W-What are you looking at me like that for?!"

"Juvia wants to see if she's dreaming."

"Um...no?"

Juvia suddenly let out an ear-piercing shriek.

"Like a date?" Her voice was awed. "Oh, Gray-sama! Thank you so much!" She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tightly. Despite the bone-crushing pressure, he found himself relishing the feeling of her body pressed against his. _Aaaaannnddd here I go again with these weird thoughts,_ he bemoaned.

"Juvia really appreciates it! She can't wait!" She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. He heard Natsu cat-call from his stool. Gray gave him the most venomous glare he could muster, given the blush on his face.

"At what time does Gray-sama wish to go out?"

"I think...seven o'clock is a good time. Or whenever you're hungry, really."

"Okay! Juvia is going to get ready!" She clapped her hands together and pulled Lucy out of her stool. "Lucy-san! Juvia needs your help!"

Gray shook his head at the blue-haired girl's antics. Sure, she was a little bit crazy and over the top...but would she really be Juvia if she weren't?

* * *

"Gray, you're staring."

_I don't care,_ he thought, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. _I knew she was pretty, but damn._

Gray knew he was dense when it came to women. Not as bad as Natsu, but then again, Natsu didn't get showered with as much female attention as he did growing up. Gray had spent most of his life avoiding female affections, Juvia included. Of course, he noticed when women were beautiful, since every woman in Fairy Tail was admittedly stunning. For him to not notice it would make him completely asexual, which he was most definitely not, especially considering how he couldn't tear his eyes off the woman in front of him.

Her hair was in waves, flowing over her shoulders like a cascading waterfall, complete with a white flower pinned to the side of her head. Her matching write dress was simple, its only special feature a daring v-neck, but it was all she needed. It flowed over her knees softly and fluttered gently as she walked, giving the impression that she was gliding through the air. She looked ethereal.

Gray was seriously worried his heart was going to pop out of his chest. Was this feeling normal? Was it okay to feel like you're having a heart attack? He didn't really know what was going on, but he noticed that ever since he had come to terms with his growing feelings towards Juvia this feeling had become more and more common. He made a mental note to write down a list of these feelings for Mirajane to explain to him later.

Gray smoothed his face into one of indifference. "You didn't really have to dress up for this, you know. You looked fine the way you were before." _Of course, I'm extremely glad you did._

Juvia giggled. "Juvia knows, but she wanted to look pretty for Gray-sama. Did she succeed?"

_Hell yes._

"Sure."

Juvia smiled to herself. She was perfectly content with that. The fact that Gray had actually admitted she looked pretty was a major milestone for them, so there was no room for complaint. She wouldn't be selfish and demand for more. Her imagination tended to get carried away, but she wasn't stupid. She knew what she would get out of Gray, and a dramatic admittance of her beauty was not one of them. _Thank you, Gray-sama._

"Are you ready for our date, Gray-sama?"

"...Let's go."

Juvia smiled to herself. He hadn't denied anything.

* * *

"It's just so pretty!" Juvia's eyes flickered back and forth across the room at lightning speed.

The two were able to get last minute reservations due to another couple canceling their own. There was a wait list, but all it took was a few threats from Gray to the owner about destroying his newly-made restaurant if he didn't give them seats. They had showed him their Fairy Tail guild stamp, and the poor man had no choice but to agree.

Gray chuckled. "What, you've never seen a crystal chandelier before?"

"Nope. Juvia's never been to a restaurant like this," she admitted sheepishly. "Juvia has heard about dressing fancy for these kinds of restaurants, but that's about it."

"Did anyone ever tell you that's it seriously freakin' expensive, too?"

Juvia looked horrified. "Really? Oh no! Juvia is sorry, Gray-sama! Juvia didn't know!"

Gray chuckled. "It's okay. Today can be an exception."

"But still!" Juvia looked miserable. "You only came because I said I wanted to come!"

Gray cleared his throat nervously. _Here it goes._ "Um, actually...that's not the only reason why I brought you here."

Juvia tilted her head in confusion. "It's not?" She began to lean across the table, bringing her face dangerously close to his and giving him a rather nice view of her cleavage. She didn't appear to be aware. "Why did Gray-sama bring Juvia, then?"

Gray's cheeks flared crimson. "I...um," he stuttered. _She's too close!_ "I wanted to tell you that I-"

"Juvia-chan!"

Gray resisted the urge to scream. He whipped his head around, with full intent to punch whoever dared to interrupt this moment. The voice sounded eerily familiar...

"Juvia-chan! What are you doing here with him?"

Lyon.

Gray groaned out loud in disappointment. The opportunity was completely ruined. Now that Lyon had discovered them, he would not leave Gray and Juvia alone until they were separated.

Gray clenched his fists together so tightly his nails dug into his palms. He was definitely angry. All that planning, gone to waste! He had finally gathered up the courage to confess, only to have someone ruin it!

"L-Lyon-sama!" Juvia stuttered, cheeks pink. "What are you doing here?"

Lyon had attracted the attention of the whole restaurant now, and everybody had turned their heads to watch the scene unfold before them. Gray faintly heard someone whisper "love triangle" in a teasing way in the background. He twitched.

"I came to see you, of course! I had gone to the guild earlier, but imagine my horror when the pink-haired demon told me you were out here with this creature!" Lyon glared at Gray. "I quite like you, Gray, more than I'm proud to admit, but Juvia-chan is off limits!"

"Off limits to _me_?" Gray stood up and faced him down. His glare could have made someone like Natsu cower in fear. "You don't even really know her! Besides, _I'm_ the one who met her first! _I'm_ the one who discovered her! _I'm_ the first person she's ever trusted! _I'm_ the one she loves!" Gray's face became crimson at that last sentence, but he felt the need to remind Lyon. _I hope that hurt, _he though smugly. "Who are _you_ to be telling _me_ that I can't be with-"

"I'm your elder!" Lyon and Gray's foreheads were pressed together now, veins apparent at their temples. "Juvia-chan deserves better than the likes of you!"

"Gray-sama! Lyon-sama! Stop!" Juvia squealed. She looked dizzy. "If you get in a fight..."

"I'll attack if he attacks!" Gray yelled, his body already in a fighting stance. Fog began to emanate from his hands, and the room suddenly got a bit chillier. Startled murmers sounded throughout the room.

"I won't hold back!" Lyon did the same. "Ice-Make-"

"STOP!" A scream echoed through the restaurant. Everyone's heads whipped around to face the frantic manager heading toward the mages, complete with security behind him. "You two are not fighting in here!" He looked at Gray and Juvia pointedly. "I know both of you are from Fairy Tail, and the white-haired man here is from Lamia Scale! There's a reason why I don't trust you mages! Get out!"

A loud chorus of boos followed his statement. "You're ruining the entertainment!" Somebody yelled from the back.

The manager's face was ruddy. "I don't care! I can't risk them destroying the restaurant!" He snapped his fingers at the security. "Take them out!"

* * *

"Way to go, Lyon," Gray grumbled, kicking a rock out of his path. "This is your fault."

"Mine? Baka! If you hadn't brought Juvia-chan here this wouldn't have-"

"Juvia is going home," Juvia said quietly, turning right on the street they were strolling through.

"Eh?!"

"Juvia!" Gray called out to her, noticing her slumped shoulders and sad expression. "Where are you going?"

"Home," Juvia replied miserably, her back facing the boys. She turned her head around and to Gray's horror, her eyes were watery. "Juvia understands that Gray-sama and Lyon-sama desire some alone time. She'll be leaving now."

Gray and Lyon blanched.

"H-Hold on! Oi, Juvia! That's not it!" Gray called out to her, but she was already gone.

The two ice mages stood there, frozen with shock. _That was not supposed to happen._

Gray could handle paying a ridiculous amount for food. He could handle a fight with Lyon. Hell, he could handle being mistaken for gay, so long as he proved otherwise. What he could _not_ handle was seeing Juvia upset like that.

_Way to go, Fullbuster. A failed confession, lifelong banishment from the restaurant, and you made a girl cry. Lucy and Mira are so going to kick your ass._

* * *

**Day 03**

As expected, Gray got a major ass-whoopin' from the girls once they questioned him about his day. He didn't even have the will to defend himself. _I deserve it_, he thought mournfully.

"This won't do!" Lucy mumbled fiercely. "Juvia hasn't come out of her room yet, and it's already three in the afternoon! She's obviously upset. We'll just have to come up with another plan." Lucy gave Gray the most fearsome stare she could muster. Gray resisted the urge to squeak. "We will not stop with these over-the-top plans until one of them succeeds, whether you like it or not!"

"Hmmm...what other ways are there?" Levy pondered, rubbing her finger back and forth across her chin.

"I can make something for her," Gray suggested with a shrug. It wasn't the best suggestion, but he had to throw an idea out there before Lucy punched him.

"No, no, not good enough," Lucy waved him off, much to his irritation, then her eyes widened. "Except...she has stated that she loves your magic, right?"

"Yeah."

"So you can make something really cool out of ice!" Levy clapped her hands together.

"But ice melts," Gray pointed out.

Levy pouted. "Good point."

Silence.

"Ah!" Lucy's face brightened suddenly. "You can still make her something, like roses, or even a statue! Make them big, so you can step out from behind them with actual roses and profess your love for her!"

Gray waved his arms frantically, face tomato-red. "I-It's not like that!"

The girls giggled, clearly enjoying this.

_Roses, eh...Ur had a spell like that. It was meant as an offensive attack, but I guess I could use it for this, too._

"And he could do it during the sunset!" Levy squealed, holding Lucy's hands. "So all the pretty colors from the sunset will reflect off the roses!"

"This is perfect!" The two girls squealed in unison.

Gray sweatdropped.

Lucy grabbed him by the arm. "Come on, Gray! We need to get you a tux! And roses! And prepare your speech!"

"Isn't that a bit much, though?" Gray complained.

Both girls turned around and glared at him. "NO."

Gray helplessly let himself be dragged by the girls to the nearest tuxedo rental shop.

_Well, I did say I deserved it._

* * *

"Ice-Make: Rose Garden!" Gray shouted, slamming his hands into the ground. Dozens of roses appeared in a wall in front of him, blocking the view of the door he knew lay behind it. He was supposed to stay hidden, after all.

He, Levy, Lucy, and Mirajane had arrived to Fairy Hills approximately five minutes ago. The girls had explained their plan to Mira, who demanded to watch everything unfold, much to his embarrassment. The plan was to create the roses outside of the front door of Fairy Hills and hide behind them, with the real roses in hand and his speech at the ready. The girls would then bring Juvia out, and he would pop out from behind them and confess to her. It wasn't his style at all, and much too clichéd, but he had to make it special. Plus, the three girls were quite scary when they wanted to be.

He really was in a tux, much to the girls' delight and his dismay. It had so many layers and pieces and made his body feel constricted, but he had been threatened with bodily harm if he dared to remove them. The girls had also given him a card full of things to bring up during his speech to her, and he was supposed to ad lib the rest. He wanted to throw up and die of embarrassment at the same time.

"I absolutely cannot believe I am doing this," he muttered to himself, picking up the white roses with a light spray of blue coloring that he had bought for the occasion. He paced back and forth. "Hurry the hell up and bring Juvia already, Lucy. I want to get this over with."

To kill time, he recited his speech over and over in his head. He tried his hardest not to make it corny, and short and to-the-point, because he knew he wouldn't be able to say of this stuff without stuttering and blushing. _Damn it all. I've turned into a wuss._

Gray leaned back and admired his work. The colors of the sunset glinted off the ice roses beautifully, making each icy petal and leaf sparkle with a myriad of colors. Red there, orange here, pink over there...

"Gray!"

Gray startled and dropped the blue roses. _What the hell? Why is the pink moving?_

"Gray!" The voice screamed again, and the ice roses in front of him shattered. Who else would be standing there but Natsu and Happy?

"What the fuck?!" Gray gritted his teeth. Anger bubbled in his stomach. "Natsu! What the hell are you doing?!"

"I have a bone to pick with you!" Natsu growled, body engulfed in flames. The roses around him began to melt and crack. "We never finished our fight the other day!"

"You idiot! Can't you see I'm busy?" Gray clenched his fists.

Natsu eyed him disdainfully. "What's with that getup?"

"Maybe he has a date," Happy snickered.

"None of your business. Just leave."

Natsu smirked. "Wuss. Finally realized that I'm superior in strength?"

Gray felt his body get cold and his vision became red with anger. Nobody called him a wuss. Except himself, apparently.

"In your dreams, flame brain." _Don't get in a fight, don't get in a fight..._

"If you wanna prove your worth then fight me!"

"I can't right now!" Gray's patience was running thin. He never had much when it came to Natsu.

"Just like I thought! Ahahaha! The ice princess is too afraid to fight me!" Natsu looked at Happy gleefully. "Happy! Report this back to the guild!"

"Aye, sir!"

"That's it!" Gray screamed, all previous thoughts flying from his mind, along with his clothes. He dropped the roses and kicked them to the side. His brain became full of nothing but thoughts of destroying Natsu. "Ice-Make: Lance!"

Natsu dodged his attack with a feral grin on his face. "Finally!"

Happy floated above their heads, watching the two duke it out. "I wonder why Gray was dressed in those clothes..."

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Happy flinched at the piercing shriek and Natsu and Gray froze mid-punch. Lucy stood at the entrance to the complex, murderous glare set in place. Even Levy and Mirajane, who stood at either side of her, looked angry. Poor Juvia just looked at the boys confusedly.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" Lucy shrieked.

Gray sucked in a breath. Juvia! He had forgotten about the situation in the heat of battle. The ice roses were completely destroyed, along with his tuxedo and the blue roses. He couldn't even remember his speech. _Oh, shit! The confession!_

"I...I-!"

"Gray started it!" Natsu yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Gray.

"What?! You're the one who destroyed the roses!" Gray defended himself.

"What roses? What's going on? What are Gray-sama and Natsu-san doing here?" Juvia's hands were covering her mouth.

Gray bit his lip and looked at Juvia. _Oh, hell. I really fucked up this time._

"Oh, nothing," Lucy's voice suddenly turned giggly and saccharine. "The boys were just being idiots as usual. Come on, Juvia. Let's go back inside."

"But...Gray-sama...!"

The door slammed shut.

Natsu scowled. "Damn, Lucy's gonna be pissed when we get back home. She only talks like that when she gets really angry."

"Aye."

Gray was sitting back on his knees, clothes completely torn and eyes set on the door. His eyes were blank and desolate. He didn't even appear to be breathing.

"Oh well." Natsu's fists began to flame again. "Oi! Droopy eyes! We ain't finished yet!"

Gray responded by slowly pulling himself from the ground and walking away from him.

"Hey! Get back here so I can kick your ass!"

Gray continued to walk with his head down.

"He looks like a zombie," Happy pointed out. "Natsu? What's wrong with Gray?"

Natsu shrugged. "Beats me. He's not even responding to me!" He crossed his arms and pouted. "What's the fun in a fight if the other person won't even fight back?"

Happy frowned. "Natsu...I think we interrupted something important."

Natsu and Happy looked at each other for a few moments. Both shrugged.

"Nah."

* * *

**Day 04**

"I refuse."

"Gray!" Mirajane cried. "You have to keep trying!"

"Every attempt has failed because some idiot has to come in and ruin it!"

"And you're one of those idiots!" Lucy pointed out angrily. "You could have avoided both of those situations had you not lost your temper!"

"Lu-chan, to be honest, there wasn't much Gray could do," Levy pointed out. "Both Lyon and Natsu wouldn't have left him alone, anyway."

"Lyon went back to his guild, and Natsu won't be bugging Gray for a while," Lucy said darkly. "I made sure of that last night."

Mirajane, Levy, and Gray sweatdropped.

"I have another plan, and it's quite simple. If you somehow find a way to mess this up I won't show you any mercy this time."

Gray swallowed and nodded.

"Good. Now, all you need for this one is a bunch of candles, which you are buying, by the way. Just spell out 'Be Mine' in front of the windows to Juvia's room at night, and call her name. She should look out the window and see the candles, with you standing behind them. And la-dee-da, she comes out, you confess, she faints, and you two live happily ever after."

Mirajane smiled sweetly. "This one is fool-proof, Gray, so don't worry! We'll be there to make sure no one comes and interrupts."

Lucy looked at Gray stonily. "Now go buy those candles and report back here when you're done. You'll need about 100."

"Won't 100 candles be really expensive?" Gray's eyebrows furrowed.

"I don't care, just get the money. Rob a bank, a convenience store, or street perform. Just find a way to get it."

Gray fast walked away from her as quickly as humanly possible.

Mirajane gave Lucy a nervous smile. "Don't you think that was a bit much?"

Lucy sipped her drink coolly. "No."

* * *

"The candles have been set," Levy smiled as she skipped up to Lucy. "Gray just finished lighting them right now."

_"SON OF A BITCH!"_

"And it looks like he burned himself in the process, too," Levy giggled.

Mirajane jogged up to the girls. "Everything should be ready! Where are we going to hide?"

"Behind the corner of the building," Lucy said. "I would have liked to be closer, but I don't want to make Gray uncomfortable. As much as I would like to, we can't distract him. Let's go check up on him one last time to review everything."

"It's really dark," Levy pointed out as they walked toward Gray. "We couldn't see the candles at all until Gray lit them. It made them more difficult to arrange."

Gray was putting ice on his finger when the girls stopped in front of him. "Damn, that hurt."

"Natsu would be laughing at you right now," Lucy sighed. Gray scowled. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, I...huh?" Gray blinked. He had just felt something cold tap his nose. Another one quickly followed. "What was that?"

Levy gasped as she also felt herself get with the drops of coldness. Her face paled as recognition hit her. "Gray...it's raining!"

"WHAT?!"

Sure enough, the drops began to steadily increase until a light drizzle was upon them. It wasn't much, but it was enough to put the candles out, leaving them in pitch black darkness.

"Ack! It's dark!"

"Told you!"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Gray seethed. His third attempt at confessing, an it was also a no-go! "I swear, this is not a coincidence!"

"I think the gods must really hate you."

"Shut up, Lucy!"

Mirajane wailed. "Oh, no! I'm so sorry, Gray! After all that money, too!"

Gray groaned. "20,000 jewel, gone to waste."

"Could Juvia be causing this rain?" Levy wondered. "Should we go check on her?"

"No, we shouldn't ask her that," Lucy said. "She's really sensitive about that topic." She sighed heavily. "We should go back. Tomorrow we'll have Gray go check up on her and he could confess there. I'm out of ideas, guys."

The four made their way back to the guild in low spirits.

* * *

**Day 05**

Knock knock.

"Juvia's coming!"

Was it just him, or did Juvia's voice sound weak?

Gray stepped back as the door opened. His heart fell into his stomach. _Oh, God._

She looked _awful_. Of course, she was still beautiful, but this was the worst he had ever seen her. She had dark purple bags under her bloodshot eyes, her normally vibrant blue hair looked almost gray, and her skin had a reddish appearance. She appeared to be sweating.

"Gray-sama..."

"Whoa! Are you all right?"

Juvia tried to smile, but failed. She shook her head. "Juvia's sick." She put her head down sadly. "I'm the one causing the rain, Gray-sama. When I'm sick, I can't control my magic very well. I'm so sorry." Her lower lip wobbled.

Gray touched her arm. "Yeah, yeah. It's okay, Juvia. It can't be helped and I'm not blaming you. What are you doing out of bed, anyway?"

"Um, Juvia heard someone knock, so of course-kyaaaa!" She squeaked. Gray had hooked his arm under her knees and picked her up as if she weighed no more than a feather. "G-Gray-sama!"

"I'm taking you back to bed," Gray looked down at her sickly face. She felt so tiny and fragile in his arms. "I shouldn't have made you get up."

Juvia 'eeped' slightly when he set her down on her bed and pulled the covers over her trembling figure. "Gray-sama, you don't have to do this."

"I insist," he said, giving her a slight smile. He pulled a chair from her desk and sat down by her bedside. "I can't leave my friends alone when they're sick, can I?"

Juvia smiled back at him. "Thank you."

* * *

"Lu-chan, this feels wrong...we're invading their privacy!" Levy whispered.

Levy had been dragged out of the guild by both Lucy and Mirajane and taken back to Fairy Hills, with absolutely no idea as to what was going on. Lucy asked her to find a way to get up to Juvia's floor from outside, so Levy had cast Solid Script: Stairs and created a staircase that stopped a couple feet below Juvia's bedroom window, so as to not be seen. Lucy had a recording lacrima in her hand.

"It's okay, Levy-chan," Lucy winked. "Juvia will surely thank us later. She'll probably listen to this over and over again."

Mirajane giggled. "Besides, it's Gray confessing! This is the equivalent of a phenomenon, so this definitely needs to be remembered."

Lucy put her finger to her lips and turned on the recorder. "He just entered the bedroom."

The girls put their ears to the wall and listened.

* * *

It was silent for a few minutes. It wasn't awkward silence, but rather a calm, comforting one. He felt relaxed. Something about sitting at her bedside felt right to him, as strange as that sounded. Gray noticed how he suddenly felt hyper-aware of her body laying in the bed next to him.

"Um, Juvia," he started, hesitant to break the silence. It was now or never. Juvia deserved to know everything, and she needed to know it now. He'd kept her waiting long enough. "Do you remember when we first met?"

"Mmhmm." Her reply was practically inaudible.

"Pretty crazy way to meet somebody, huh?" He chuckled. "You were unlike any other person I had ever met before. You acted all stoic at the beginning, but as the battle went on I got to see the real you. You weren't as gloomy and emotionless as I thought. You were just lonely. And I understood that loneliness all too well."

Gray stared off into space. "I'm glad I was able to stop the rain for you." His face suddenly reddened. He also remembered the time he had accidentally groped her chest._ Best not bring that up._

"Imagine my surprise when I saw you at Akane Resort!" Gray laughed. "You just came out of nowhere, looking to join my guild. It was a shock, seeing someone from Phantom asking to joking Fairy Tail. But I knew you weren't like everybody else. And then Erza was taken and...well, you know the rest. Although, I don't think I ever thanked you for your help back in the Tower of Heaven. So thank you."

"Then came our time at Tenrou Island. I'll admit, I'm a little disappointed I didn't get to fight you. Our first fight didn't technically have a winner, so one of these days I'd like to spar again."

"Remember Meredy's sensory link? That sure was an interesting experience, eh? I had no idea what the hell was going on! All I knew was that I was feeling pain. It took me a while, but I was able to tell that my senses were connected to someone else's. I immediately knew it was you. I could sense your emotions. And...and…" Gray paused. "Who else would feel that way about me?" Feeling disconcerted but bold, Gray reached out and grabbed her hand. He expected her to squeal or pull him closer, but she didn't even flinch.

Gray kept his eyes on the bedspread. He hadn't even looked at her face yet._ It's not perfect, but at least I'm trying._

"When Lyon set his sights on you, I felt something different. I didn't know what it was back then, but I just knew I didn't like it when he was around you. He would always be pulling you away from me and interrupting our conversations. I thought my anger stemmed from the fact that we're rivals...but then I realized it was something more."

"Erza talked to me during the Games, you know. She said...she said to 'make everything clear' with you. Of course, I knew what she meant, but all I did was ignore it. I just...I didn't know what to do, you know? Nobody has ever felt the way towards me the way you do. I didn't know how to approach it. And to be honest...I still don't."

"When you and I did our Unison Raid against Lyon and Chelia, I realized something. I'm still not sure what it was, but I just know that I, um...really liked-" Gray coughed awkwardly. "I-I liked being beside you."

Gray hoped to whatever divine force out there that he never had to say something like that ever again.

"So the morale of the story is...over time, I...I've begun to understand what you feel for me. And...I think I'm really to accept it." Gray covered his face with his other hand that wasn't holding Juvia's. He was red-faced and sweaty, not to mention completely flustered, but it had to be done. He had to say it.

"Because I...I, um, I like you, too..."

_It's out. I've said it. What a relief._

Gray squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the impending squeal and tackle that would inevitably follow. Instead, all he got was an eerie silence in response.

"Eh?" Gray opened his eyes and blinked. _That's strange._ "Juvia?"

Still no answer.

Gray frowned in confusion.

"I would at least like a response...y'know, that took me a long time to-WHAT THE HELL?!"

Gray stared incredulously at her face.

Her _sleeping_ face.

She had fallen asleep during his confession! After everything it took for him to get those words out, he finally did it, only to have her fall asleep on him!

Gray slipped out of his chair and onto the floor, desperation making it hard to breathe. It was so ludicrous and absurd. He couldn't believe it. Juvia had fallen asleep as he was talking to her. As he was _confessing_ to her. It was extremely uncharacteristic of the water mage, but he understood that she was sick and exhausted and couldn't help it. A part of him had a sneaking was suspicion that somebody was sabotaging him, though. Either that, or he was just really unlucky.

He looked at her face again. She looked peaceful, her breath coming out in soft little breaths. Her lips were slightly parted and her feet curled up. Her nose twitched.

Gray couldn't bring himself to stay mad. He smiled.

* * *

The three girls hiding beneath Juvia's window stared into space with wide eyes.

"Did she just…?" Lucy was frozen with shock.

"Lu-chan, our eyes are not deceiving us…"

"She really fell asleep!" Mirajane wailed. Lucy slapped her hand over Mira's mouth.

Back in the room, Gray's eyes snapped toward the window. _What the…?_

"Levy-chan! Do something!" Lucy whispered frantically. "I can hear him coming!"

"Solid Script: Invisible!" Levy said hurriedly, and the trio disappeared from view.

* * *

Gray threw open the window, fully prepared to attack. He knew the girls were there. He knew it. It was bad enough that Juvia fell asleep on him, and he didn't have the patience for the girls' antics right now. He was humiliated enough as it is.

He blinked at the empty space in front of him. Nothing.

Gray frowned. He could have sworn he heard a voice…

With a sigh, Gray shut the window and made his way back to Juvia's side. Her peaceful expression suddenly became slightly strained, but relaxed just as quickly. Gray put his hand on her forehead.

_She's burning up,_ he thought worriedly. _It feels hotter than normal. Almost as if she were close to boiling._

Gray felt his stomach clench uncomfortably. _What if it's bad for water mages to have hot internal temperatures? She is made of water, after all. If she gets too hot, will she start to…evaporate?!_

Raw terror seized him and he felt his muscles lock. _What if she could die?!_

Gray sprinted to her kitchen in a panic. _I need rags, I need rags…ah!_

With slightly fumbling and hurried hands, Gray filled the rags with ice of his own creation and quickly tied them. He gently set them on Juvia's forehead, neck, and stomach. She flinched, but nonetheless did not wake up.

Gray let out an exhale and sat in the chair again. _I should stay here a while…leaving the ice on for too long is bad for her. Maybe until she's cooled down a bit…then I'll leave so she can rest comfortably._

He looked at her with a slightly forlorn but determined expression. _I promise I'll take care of you…Juvia._

* * *

**Day 06**

"How are you, Gray?" Mirajane asked with a slightly tense smile. She was squeezing her cleaning rag tightly, something that did not go unnoticed by Gray. He raised an eyebrow. "You seem a bit…down."

Gray rolled his eyes. "Cut the crap, Mira. I know you heard me yesterday."

Mirajane froze. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"Really?" He scowled at her. "Whose voice was that outside the window? It sounded an awful lot like you."

Mirajane's face flamed. "It c-could have been…" She squeezed her eyes shut. "Oh, okay! Fine, I admit it. The girls and I heard everything. But that doesn't mean you-"

"Should give up?" Gray sighed. "Because I am awfully tempted to do so."

"No!"

"I've had four attempts at confessing to her and every single one of them got fucked up somehow. The one time I finally get the words out, she falls asleep on me and doesn't hear a thing!" Gray gritted his teeth. "I'm not like other people, Mira. These kind of things don't come to me easily. I can't go around talking about my…feelings so casually like everybody else. I nearly threw up as I was confessing! There's no way in hell I can make a speech like that again, at least not for a long time."

Mirajane watched on sadly as Gray stood up and began to walk away. "Maybe somebody else should tell her. At this point I don't even care if the whole damn guild hears. It would just be a lot easier for me."

Inspiration struck Mirajane like a chord. "Somebody else…? Lucy!" Mirajane called to the blond mage as soon as Gray walked out of the guild. Lucy's head snapped up from her spot on Natsu's shoulder. She looked at Mirajane in confusion.

Mirajane gestured to the stool in front of her. "Come here! And bring Levy!"

The two mages hurried to Mirajane, noting her excited face.

"Do you still have the recording of Gray confessing to Juvia?"

"Um, yes…why?"

An unsure look crossed Mirajane's face. "Well…Gray just told me he's not going to attempt to confess to Juvia for a while. He wants to give up. Yesterday's incident hit him a lot harder than we thought. And…" She blushed. "He knows we were there. I kind of gave it away."

"Not surprising," Levy laughed.

Mirajane had the decency to look embarrassed. "Anyhow…he said 'maybe somebody else should tell her'. So you know what this means?"

"Nope," Lucy and Levy said simultaneously.

"Well, get ready girls, because I have a plan…"

* * *

**Day 07**

Gray's foul mood had yet to dissipate.

He had been somewhat fine until he had gone to check up on Juvia again the day before. Her fever appeared to have broken, and she had been excited as ever to see him once more. They had spent a few hours together in her room, just talking about inconsequential matters, which irked him more than he could admit. He could not get his mind off the fact that he had confessed to her in this very bedroom, and yet she had not been conscious to hear it. The frustration had built up in him again, though he tried not to show it to her. She would undoubtedly ask him what was wrong, and he was not in the mood to explain his situation to Juvia. Not that he could, anyway.

"Damn it all," he muttered as he kicked open the front doors to his guild.

"Gray-sama?"

Gray blinked at the sight in front of him. All of his guild mates appeared to be surrounding Juvia, who was sitting in a chair in the middle of the room, looking scared and confused. Everyone appeared to be baffled by the situation, as well.

"Er…what is this?"

Natsu and Mirajane suddenly showed up on either side of him and grabbed his arms. He pulled back reflexively. "What the hell are you two doing?"

Lucy appeared in front of him out of the blue. "Don't worry, Gray. Here." She pulled out another chair and set it next to Juvia. "Relaaaaaax. Take a seat," she winked. "We have a little something here to show you guys."

Natsu and Mirajane plopped Gray onto his seat and stood on either side of him.

"Gray," Mirajane said. "Please don't be mad at us, but…this is the only way. The only way you can do this without having to repeat everything over again."

"What are you guys talking about?" Juvia slapped her hands over her cheeks. "Juvia is confused!"

"Mira…what's going on?" Gray said suspiciously. Something wasn't right.

By this point the whole guild was silently watching them. Juvia looked to be hyperventilating. Mirajane took a deep breath and crouched down so she was face-to-face with him. "Gray, _that_ day…" She looked at him urgently, hoping he understood what she was talking about. She did not want to go into details in front of the guild. Gray nodded, eyebrows pulled together.

"That day…um, Lucy…recorded everything," she said while biting her lip. Gray's eyes were so wide they almost looked like they were going to pop out of his sockets.

"Please, please don't be mad!" She cried before he could yell at her. "We just thought Juvia would like it as a sort of present, you know? So she could remember the day in exact detail."

"Remember what?" Juvia looked close to fainting.

Gray's hands were clenching. "And…"

"Well…you said you wouldn't be able to say something like that again, for a long time, right? And then you said you didn't care if the whole guild heard right after that."

Gray paled. He knew where this was going. "Mira…"

"Hold on!" Mirajane put her hands out. "We're so sorry if you feel that this is a breach of your privacy! Because in a way, it is. We feel bad that it has to be this way, but…" Mirajane cupped her hands around his ear and lowered her voice to a whisper. "If the whole guild hears the recording, it would mean almost twice as much to Juvia. It would show that you're not ashamed to be seen with or to be with her. I've talked to her before and she admitted she sometimes feels like you're embarrassed by her. This way…you won't actually have to say the words, you won't have to go around breaking the news to the guild, and Juvia will know…that you really do mean it."

Mirajane pulled her head away and looked at him sadly. "I understand if you're angry at us, but please understand. The fact that doing something like this is so unlike you will make this mean so much more to Juvia. It would mean going out of your comfort zone just for her. And…" She smiled softly. "Just imagine the look on her face. You'll be able to see it sooner if you do it now."

Gray stared at the floor. By this point the whole guild was watching him and Mirajane curiously, and Juvia appeared to be close to unconsciousness.

_This really could be special for her,_ he admitted to himself. However, the thought of the whole guild hearing him confessing made his stomach twist uncomfortably, even if it was via a recording. _Well, I could finally get it over with. I just really hope that this works. My final attempt._

Gray sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Okay."

Mirajane squealed. "Really?"

"Yeah. I wish you guys had contacted me earlier, but it is what it is. Do it."

"Excellent." Lucy clapped her hands together and snapped her fingers to get everybody's attention. "Now, what we're about to show you guys is extremely rare and chances are you will never see something like this ever again. I'm not even kidding." She gestured to the mages sitting in the chairs behind her. "We're going to show you a recording of a special event. Due to certain…circumstances, Juvia wasn't there to hear this herself. Do not even bother to ask, because I am not telling you."

Gray let out the breath he had been holding. He was glad Lucy was at least keeping that a secret.

Lucy turned around and winked at Juvia. "Juvia…I think you're really going to like this."

Juvia looked terrified out of her mind. Gray leaned toward her and whispered, "Don't be afraid. Everything is going to be fine. Trust me." His heart was nearly hammering out of his chest, but he knew it was true.

The water mage looked at him with wide eyes. Lucy was scrambling around getting the recording ready to play. "Do you know what's going on?"

"Yeah. And before you ask, this, uh," He leaned in closer and whispered in her ear. "This happened while you fell asleep the day I took care of you."

Juvia blinked at him. "Huh?"

"_Um, Juvia…do you remember when we first met?"_

Juvia jumped at the sound of Gray's voice suddenly booming throughout the guild hall. He gave her a small smirk.

_"Pretty crazy way to meet somebody, huh? You were unlike any other person I had ever met before. You acted all stoic at the beginning, but as the battle went on I got to see the real you. You weren't as gloomy and emotionless as I thought. You were just lonely. And I understood that loneliness all too well. I'm glad I was able to stop the rain for you." _

Gray and Juvia's eyes remained locked. She looked so shocked it was almost funny.

_"Imagine my surprise when I saw you at Akane Resort! You just came out of nowhere, looking to join my guild. It was a shock, seeing someone from Phantom asking to joking Fairy Tail. But I knew you weren't like everybody else. And then Erza was taken and...well, you know the rest. Although, I don't think I ever thanked you for your help back in the Tower of Heaven. So thank you."_

_"Then came our time at Tenrou Island. I'll admit, I'm a little disappointed I didn't get to fight you. Our first fight didn't technically have a winner, so one of these days I'd like to spar again."_

_"Remember Meredy's sensory link? That sure was an interesting experience, eh? I had no idea what the hell was going on! All I knew was that I was feeling pain. It took me a while, but I was able to tell that my senses were connected to someone else's. I immediately knew it was you. I could sense your emotions. And...and...who else would feel that way about me?" _

Juvia squeezed her eyes in embarrassment. Her blush was so intense, Gray was surprised steam had not come out of her ears yet. He gave her a slightly coy smile. If she thought that was bad, she sure was in for a surprise at the end.

_"When Lyon set his sights on you, I felt something different. I didn't know what it was back then, but I just knew I didn't like it when he was around you. He would always be pulling you away from me and interrupting our conversations. I thought my anger stemmed from the fact that we're rivals...but then I realized it was something more."_

Gray groaned at his guild mates' snickers at the mention of Lyon. He had always avoided or denied their jeers over his supposed jealously when it concerned his white-haired brother figure, yet he would no longer be able to do that now that they knew the truth. Juvia appeared to be in a trance as she continued to listen.

_"Erza talked to me during the Games, you know. She said...she said to 'make everything clear' with you. Of course, I knew what she meant, but all I did was ignore it. I just...I didn't know what to do, you know? Nobody has ever felt the way towards me the way you do. I didn't know how to approach it. And to be honest...I still don't."_

Erza gave Gray a satisfied smile. He looked away with a grumble, but he knew she was aware that he was grateful for her advice.

_"When you and I did our Unison Raid against Lyon and Chelia, I realized something. I'm still not sure what it was, but I just know that I, um...really liked…I-I liked being beside you."_

Cat-calls and whistles started. The audience knew what was coming.

Gray bit his lip and hesitantly offered his hand to Juvia. Her eyes were beginning to water and she had slapped a hand over her mouth. She took it and he squeezed gently.

_"So the morale of the story is...over time, I...I've begun to understand what you feel for me. And...I think I'm really to accept it."_

_"Because I...I, um, I like you, too..."_

Cheers erupted throughout the guild.

"He did it!"

"It's about time!"

"Ha! I knew that was coming!"

Amidst the cheers, Juvia threw herself at Gray. She was sobbing. Gray felt the warm tears dripping down his neck, making him shiver.

"W-Why…?"

Gray couldn't stop the grin that overtook his face. "I finally get it out, and all you can ask me is why?"

"Juvia didn't e-expect you to a-actually…"

The ice mage rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well, I'll admit it…it was bound to happen eventually."

Juvia gave him a watery smile. "Thank you, Gray-sama. You have no idea how much this means to me." She wrapped her arms around him again. The guild continued to celebrate in the background. "Juvia is so happy."

He smirked. "Then why were you crying?"

Juvia blushed. "They're tears of happiness. I never thought this day would come…"

"Me neither," he chuckled.

All of a sudden the guild began to chant. "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

Both Gray and Juvia's faces flamed in embarrassment. You cheeky bastards! He thought angrily.

Juvia looked up at him, eyes wide and…hopeful?

Aw, hell. How could he deny her when she was giving him that look? It was something she had wanted for as long as he could remember, anyway. And in a way, he had always wanted it, too.

"Fuck it," he sighed, and brought his lips to hers. Screams and laughter resonated throughout the room.

Juvia promptly fainted.

Gray couldn't help the laugh that escaped him as he caught her limp form. She was blushing heavily, but the smile on her face remained the same. From the corner of his eye, he saw Lucy, Levy, and Mirajane hugging each other and crying as well.

Gray waved at them. _Thanks for helping me and dealing with my awkwardness…and all my failed attempts at trying to admit my feelings. The journey was definitely a long one and I'm glad it's over…_

_But it was worth it._

* * *

**Long-ass Author's Note:** OOC errwhere. UGH. And probably grammatical and writing errors as well. I'm not very good at writing emotional stuff, even though I'm exactly the same as Gray when it comes to emotions. Sorry that I repeated the speech again at the end. I couldn't think of another way to write it. Ending was lame as fuck. I got a little lazy.

Oh, balls, that was long. I really let myself get carried away...but I couldn't write Gray's attempts at confessing without having some sort of background first. And he does have feelings, people. So writing them may seem OOC, but how do we really know that?

I don't like it when people make Gray outright say "I love you" to Juvia. It's _extremely_ OOC. As much as I wish he did, he's not there yet.

I write everything on the notepad on my iPhone, and it insists on changing 'Gray' to 'Gary', so I wouldn't be surprised if any of you found that mistake.

Also, sorry it took me a while to get this out, for those of you who saw the preview on Tumblr. Real life got in the way with its distractions, like long road trips to visit family, finals, my brother's graduation, and the unexpected death of my best friend's 2 year-old baby brother. )': That one took me out of commission for a couple weeks. I dedicate this one to you, Jonathan. Heaven is lucky to have gained a precious little angel such as yourself.

Thank you for your patience. After all, this is over 11k words and 29 pages on Word. It took me nearly half a month. -_-

Random fact: I write everything while listening to Simon Curtis. I seriously cannot write decently if I'm not listening to his music. It's weird. So if you happen to actually like my stories…give him credit, not me. XD

I normally don't outright ask for reviews, but…please? I nearly broke my computer screen like twenty times in frustration. At least let me know that this was worth it. T_T


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